Like the majority of first-round draftees, Bruno Caboclo spent Thursday night in New York City. Unlike the rest of them, though, Caboclo did not hear his name called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Instead, he found out the Toronto Raptors had selected him 20th overall after reading a tweet on his phone in the backseat of a taxi.
“Somebody from Brazil tweeted us and said, ‘Oh my God, Bruno at 20,’” basketball and personal advisor Eduardo Resende said at Air Canada Centre on Saturday. “The taxi driver didn’t understand what went on. We were screaming back there. It was crazy.
“He was jumping out of the roof,” Resende said. “He was very excited. It's a dream come true. Like I said, for a young Brazilian player that could only see those things on TV, and then all of sudden he's part of it.”
Less than 24 hours later, Caboclo and Resende were flying to Toronto to meet with the front office that drafted him and speak to the media. Upon arrival, Caboclo was greeted by Raptors fans at the airport, all curious for a look at the newest player in town.
As a handful of kids tried — unsuccessfully — to sneak a selfie with him in the background, Cabolco played along, and, using his 7-foot-6 wingspan, grabbed the camera and took the photo for the kids, starring front and centre in the shot.
Things are happening at an insanely fast pace for Caboclo. After working out for his new team on Saturday morning — and getting in a late-night workout at 11 p.m. Friday after arriving — he met with a larger-than-normal media contingent at Air Canada Centre.
Although Cabolco is learning English, Resende translated and assisted when needed. The megawatt smile Cabolco flashed whenever he received a question he could answer on his own showed his excitement.
One of the things that appealed to Ujiri, who repeatedly referred to Caboclo’s love of the game, is how focused the young player is on improving and getting better.